Lookups

​​​​​​​​The records of the Kirk Session contain a variety of documents which detail many aspects of the daily lives of all types of people throughout Scotland from the 16th century onwards. We are pleased to be able to offer a search service in some of the records available for this parish. We will search for a given name in any of the record sets in the table below, and provide you with transcripts of any matching entries for just £1 per name per year.

Board of Supervision poor relief appeals

The Board of Supervision was established under the 1845 Poor Law Act. One of its tasks was to hear appeals by paupers against inadequate poor relief granted by Parochial Boards. These appeals were recorded in the Board of Supervision minutes. Cases were often heard over an extended period. The minutes may contain a variety of information, including about other family members, medical conditions and other circumstances. For more information about these records, see here.

We are pleased to be able to offer to obtain images of the minutes for each appeal, at the following rates:

£3 for a single minute

£6 for up to 3 minutes for a single case

£10 for any single case with more than 3 minutes (some cases have as many as 8 minutes)

We have indexed these records, and list the cases for this parish below. Just click on the Order images link to order images of the relevant minutes. Please note that as these minutes may need to be filmed specially, it may take up to a week before we can supply them.

List of Births with no Father's name 1855-1874

Your research hit a brick wall when you discovered a birth record missing this vital name? Choose Find the Father by any birth below to start breaking down that barrier today with our FREE search service. For births outwith this period, click here.

Rolls of Male Heads of Families​In 1834, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland passed the Veto Act, removing the absolute right of landowners to appoint ministers to their parish. The Act gave male heads of families who were communicants with the parish the right to veto the appointment of a new minister if a majority of them objected. To this end, the Assembly instructed kirk sessions to draw up rolls of the male heads of families in each parish. We have transcribed the surviving rolls, and are publishing them here. They are significant as they pre-date the earliest nominal census, which took place in 1841.

No Roll of Male Heads of Families has yet been found for this parish

Kirk Session Records Index 1832 [NRS Reference CH2/39/2]

Use the name links below to go to the entries for the person you are interested in. We have selected 1832 as an example year for parishes across Scotland. If you would like more information about the existence of Kirk Session minutes for this or another parish or would like to search for particular people in the minutes please contact us.

Details: 'for the rubbish on the foundation of the old kirk in the Kirk-yard'

Other names:

Name:

Date: 11/07/1831

Case type: Distribution

Occupation:

Address:

Role:

Cash amount: £1 8s

Details: 13 paupers

Other names:

Name:

Date: 04/09/1831

Case type: Distribution

Occupation: nurse

Address:

Role: account paid

Cash amount: 3s

Details: 'To a nurse for keeping it till the woman was apprehended'

Other names: Mr Green

Name:

Date: 02/10/1831

Case type: collection

Occupation:

Address:

Role: General Assembly's Fund for Propagation of Gospel in foreign Parts

Details: to be made at thanksgiving service for 'the late early & favourable harvest' to be appointed 12th Current

Other names:

Name:

Date: 09/10/1831

Case type: Education

Occupation: Minister

Address:

Role: School

Details: intimated that it will be opened again 'after harvest vacation on Monday first'

Other names:

Name:

Date: 13/11/1831

Case type: Distribution

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Poors' Money

Cash amount: £3 7s

Details: quarterly distribution to 14 paupers

Other names:

Name:

Date: 08/01/1832

Case type: Session Business

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Mortcloth Use and Charges

Details: Mortcloth fallen into disuse by parishioners due to charges considered too high - the session 'regreting that so decent and becoming practice should be given up, resolved that in time coming instead of 2/6 the charge should be 1/6 provided…'

Other names:

Name:

Date: 12/02/1832

Case type: Distribution

Occupation:

Address:

Role:

Cash amount: £3 11s 6d

Details: quarterly distribution to 13 paupers

Other names:

Name:

Date: 13/05/1832

Case type: Official

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Poors' Money

Cash amount: £3 9s

Details: quarterly distribution to 14 paupers

Name:

Date: 08/07/1832

Case type: Sacrament

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Lord's supper

Details: to be celebrated the third Sunday next month, 19th August, appoint intimation thereof from pulpit next Lord's day

Other names:

Name:

Date: 05/08/1832

Case type: Distribution

Occupation:

Address:

Role:

Cash amount: £1 4s

Details: Window Blinds

Other names:

Name:

Date: 05/08/1832

Case type: Sacrament

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Lord's supper

Details: day of fasting and humiliation prior to Sacrament appointed Wednesday 15th August - to be intimated

Other names:

Name:

Date: 18/08/1832

Case type: Sacrament

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Lord's supper

Details: day of preparation, 269 tokens distributed 13 for first time

Other names:

Name:

Date: 20/08/1832

Case type: Sacrament

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Lord's supper

Details: day of thanksgiving

Other names:

Name:

Date: 20/08/1832

Case type: Distribution

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Poors' Money

Cash amount: £4 5s 6d

Details: sacramental and quarterly distributions.To 12 paupers

Other names:

Name:

Date: 20/08/1832

Case type: Distribution

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Poors' Money

Cash amount: £13 6s 6d

Details: sacramental and quarterly distributions.To 16 poor people

Other names:

Name:

Date: 31/10/1832

Case type: Observance

Occupation:

Address:

Role: harvest thanksgiving

Details: thanksgiving day for the Harvest

Other names:

Name:

Date: 11/11/1832

Case type: Distribution

Occupation:

Address:

Role: quarterly

Cash amount: £3 19s

Details: quarterly distribution to 16 paupers

Other names:

Name:

Date: 11/11/1832

Case type: Education

Occupation:

Address:

Role: school vacation ends

Details: school opened after harvest vacation on Tuesday first

Other names:

Name:

Date: 17/02/1833

Case type: collection

Occupation:

Address:

Role:

Cash amount: £4 3s

Details: quarterly distribution to 16 paupers

Other names: Mr Js Cruickshanks

Name:

Date: 21/04/1833

Case type: fabric

Occupation: Minister

Address:

Role: intimated

Details: 'no public worship in this place on account of the church being painted, for the next two Sundays'

Other names:

Name:

Date: 19/05/1833

Case type: Distribution

Occupation:

Address:

Role:

Cash amount: £3 14s 6d

Details: quarterly distribution to 15 paupers

Other names:

Name:

Date: 26/05/1833

Case type: Distribution

Occupation:

Address:

Role: supply

Cash amount: 5s

Details: travelling pauper in great want, to assist them in getting clothes

Other names:

Name:

Date: 06/07/1833

Case type: Sacrament

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Lord's supper

Details: intimated for 1st Sunday August

Other names:

Name:

Date: 21/07/1833

Case type: Sacrament

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Lord's supper

Details: fast day to be intimated 'Thursday the 1 of August Curt.'

Other names:

Name:

Date: 25/07/1833

Case type: Sacrament

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Lord's supper

Details: fast day intimated from pulpit

Other names:

Name:

Date: 01/08/1833

Case type: Sacrament

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Lord's supper

Details: fast day

Other names:

Name:

Date: 03/08/1833

Case type: Sacrament

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Lord's supper

Details: preparation day

Other names:

Name:

Date: 03/08/1833

Case type: Sacrament

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Lord's supper

Details: tokens distributed to 284 communicants 15 for first time

Other names: Mr Mcpherson

Name:

Date: 05/08/1833

Case type: Sacrament

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Lord's supper

Details: day of thanksgiving

Other names:

Name:

Date: 11/08/1833

Case type: Distribution

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Poors' Money

Cash amount: £5 19s

Details: sacramental and quarterly distributions.To 12 paupers

Other names: Mary Gilbert

Name: [George] [Ferguson] of Pitfour MP

Date: 10/02/1833

Case type: collection

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Donation

Cash amount: £3

Details: 'from the member of Parliament for the County, to be divided among the most necessitous poor in the Parish. The Session requested the Mod[erato]r convey to Pitfour their warmest thanks for his generosity and kindness.'

Details: 'a parishioner of Mortlach had got his thigh broke on Monday last by the upsetting of the Dufftown Carriers cart, & had been lying at his house since in great poverty & distress …[.] The Session being aware that the Minister of Mortlach is at present from home, directed the[i]r Treasurer to give John Craig a supply of 5/ in the meantime.'

Other names: Mr George Gauld; John Craig

Name: Christian Cruickshank

Date: 17/07/1831

Case type: uncleanliness

Occupation:

Address:

Role: compeared, confessed

Details: her father's servant was Allan

Other names: Christian Cruickshank; Alexr Allan

Name: Christian Cruickshank

Date: 07/08/1831

Case type: uncleanliness

Occupation:

Address:

Role: Compeared, adhered, rebuked, exhorted, left under scandal

Details: 'had formerly satisfied the discipline of the church for the sin of Adultery, and according to the statement of themselves, it appeared also that the man is somewhat under twenty years of age and the woman thirty-seven; Session taking thee things into consideration, did not think it fit to admit the woman to a rofession of repentance, till they should have some proofs of a change & reformation in her conduct; she was therefore sharply rebuked, and earnestly exhorted, to repentance & left under scandal.'

Other names: Alexander Allan; Christian Cruickshank

Name: Christian Cruickshank

Date: 18/12/1831

Case type: Fornication

Occupation:

Address:

Role: compeared requesting to be admitted to a profession of repentance, rebuked, exhorted, dismissed

Details: [Tenor in minutes] 'Huntly 5 Dec[embe]r 1832 …[Presbytery recommend Kirk Session] to suspend proceedings in this case for six months till it appear whether the parties come to a proper sense of their sins, & thereafter to deal with them as they shall see cause…'

Details: Extract from Kirk Session of Carnie dated 13th April 1832: Thomson, in Ardonald ,Unmarried, compeared there confessing pregnancy begotten at Mains of Drummuir, Parish of Botriphny where she had been residing for 12 months

Details: [Tenor in minutes] 'Huntly 5 Dec[embe]r 1832 …[Presbytery recommend Kirk Session] to suspend proceedings in this case for six months till it appear whether the parties come to a proper sense of their sins, & thereafter to deal with them as they shall see cause…'